Easy Clam Pasta (Tagliatelle alle Vongole)
Tagliatelle alle Vongole is a delicious Mediterranean pasta dish featuring the flavors of the sea with fresh clams, the natural sweetness of cherry tomatoes, and a simple but flavorful white wine and garlic sauce. This clam pasta recipe is quick and easy to prepare, making it simple enough for a weeknight dinner but also elegant enough to serve at dinner parties.
Ingredients to Make Clam Pasta
How to Make Clam Pasta
Step 1
Begin by cleaning the clams. Place them in a large bowl filled with cold water and add 2-3 tablespoons of salt. Let them soak for about 20 – 30 minutes. This will help to remove any sand or grit. After soaking, rinse them thoroughly under cold running water and set them aside.
Step 2
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Meanwhile, start to prepare the sauce. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or deep pan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté for about a minute until the garlic becomes fragrant, but don’t let it brown. Then, add the cherry tomatoes to the skillet and cook for a couple of minutes, until they start to soften and release their juices.
Step 3
Pour in the white wine and let it gently simmer for about 5 minutes, allowing the alcohol to evaporate and the sauce to reduce slightly.
Add the cleaned clams to the skillet, cover it with a lid, and steam the clams just until the shells open up. You can shake the pan occasionally to help them open. It may take about 5- 8 minutes for them to be ready. Avoid overcooking the clams, as this can make them tough and rubbery. Discard any clams that remain closed, as they are not safe to eat. Reduce the heat to low and season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Stir through the chopped parsley, reserving some to garnish the pasta before serving.
Step 4
Add salt to the boiling pasta water and cook the fresh tagliatelle for about 2 minutes, or according to package instructions if using dried pasta. As soon as the pasta is “al dente”, drain it with a skimmer or kitchen tongs and add it directly to the skillet with the clams. Toss and stir to combine, making sure that the clams are evenly distributed and the pasta is coated with the white wine sauce. You can add a splash of the reserved pasta water to loosen up the sauce if needed. Divide the clam pasta into four portions and sprinkle over some extra parsley before serving.
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Tagliatelle alle Vongole (Easy Clam Pasta)
Ingredients
For the clam pasta sauce:
- 6 tbsp olive oil
- 5 garlic cloves – minced
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes – adjust to taste or omit if you don’t like spiciness
- 250 g cherry tomatoes – halved
- 250 ml white wine
- 1 kg clams – fresh, or frozen and slowly thawed
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 bunch (about 40 g) of fresh parsley – chopped
To serve:
- 400 g dried pasta OR 600 g fresh tagliatelle – to make fresh tagliatelle you'll need about 400 g of flour and 4 eggs. Get the detailed recipe here.
Instructions
- Begin by cleaning the clams. Place them in a large bowl filled with cold water and add 2-3 tablespoons of salt. Let them soak for about 20 – 30 minutes. This will help to remove any sand or grit. After soaking, rinse them thoroughly under cold running water and set them aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Meanwhile, start to prepare the sauce. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or deep pan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté for about a minute until the garlic becomes fragrant, but don’t let it brown. Then, add the cherry tomatoes to the skillet and cook for a couple of minutes, until they start to soften and release their juices.
- Pour in the white wine and let it gently simmer for about 5 minutes, allowing the alcohol to evaporate and the sauce to reduce slightly. Add the cleaned clams to the skillet, cover it with a lid, and steam the clams just until the shells open up. You can shake the pan occasionally to help them open. It may take about 5- 8 minutes for them to be ready. Avoid overcooking the clams, as this can make them tough and rubbery. Discard any clams that remain closed, as they are not safe to eat. Reduce the heat to low and season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Stir through the chopped parsley, reserving some to garnish the pasta before serving.
- Add salt to the boiling pasta water and cook the fresh tagliatelle for about 2 minutes, or according to package instructions if using dried pasta. As soon as the pasta is “al dente”, drain it with a skimmer or kitchen tongs and add it directly to the skillet with the clams. Toss and stir to combine, making sure that the clams are evenly distributed and the pasta is coated with the white wine sauce. You can add a splash of the reserved pasta water to loosen up the sauce if needed. Divide the pasta into four portions and sprinkle over some extra parsley before serving.
